Ruby Walsh: You are Rachael Blackmore. You are a Grand National winner. But most of all, you are a brilliant jockey

Rachael Blackmore can do it all: Park physical pain, take the pressure of setbacks and defeats, and carry on delivering

LANDMARK MOMENT: Minella Times and Rachael Blackmore make Grand National history at Aintree. Tactical awareness, judgement of pace, and conviction in her own plans led to Saturday’s historic success, writes our columnist. Picture: Healy Racing

There’s no point in now telling lies: I wasn’t part of the Rachael Blackmore brains trust that advised the relatively unsuccessful amateur to turn professional at the age of 25, to try her hand at a profession which would require as much mental toughness as most other people think it requires physical resilience.

I wasn’t one of the few who spotted the talent and, being honest, until we crossed paths in her first season as a claiming professional, I only knew her as Miss R Blackmore on the racecards, riding occasionally for John “Shark” Hanlon.